An article titled We need to talk about why jersey sizes are getting smaller by Wade Wallace appeared on the Escape Collective website on 1 April 2025. It is a Member Exclusive article, so you need to sign up to Escape Collective to read it. Articles like this one, Member Podcasts and a Member Purchase Program that offers 25% off products from Cane Creek, and 20% off products from Ritchey, Silca, Mavic, Velocio and others make the annual USD99 subscription well worth it.
Back to Wade’s article. Despite the publication date, this is not an April Fool’s gag. Wade asks why fifteen-year-old size M cycling jerseys fit him the same as new size XL jerseys? Wade uses these photographs to prove his point.
He discusses several reasons for this size inflation. Modern fabric technology and fashion are two culprits.
The article generated 175 comments. Some of these touched on how jersey sizes are inconsistent from one manufacturer to another. I was intrigued and did some research.
I looked at the online size guides for men’s cycling jerseys from twenty-six brands. Some brands have different size guides for the various types of jerseys in their catalogues: short-sleeved, long-sleeved etc. Some brands even have size guides for each of the fits they offer for a particular jersey type: relaxed, enthusiast, pro and so on.
I tried to compare like with like. The figures below are for men’s tight-fitting short-sleeved jerseys. There are indeed inconsistencies between manufacturers.
To start with not all brands offer sizes 2XS, XS, 2XL, 3XL, 4XL, 5XL and 6XL. All twenty-six offer sizes S to XL.
Attaquer offers the jersey in the smallest chest size of 74-79 cm. Decathlon offers the largest of 147-159 cm. Santini is the only brand with a size 6XL. Interestingly, Santini’s size 6XL is roughly equivalent to Decathlon’s size 3XL. You are starting to see the sizing inconsistencies between brands.
The chest measurements that each brand uses to differentiate the sizes they offer are definitely not standardised.
A cyclist with a chest measurement of 90 cm will need a size 2XS from PEdALED, Giordana or Panache. The same cyclist will need a size S from seven brands including Attaquer, Verge and Velobici. A 90 cm chest falls between sizes XS and S for seven other brands.
A cyclist with a chest measurement of 98 cm faces the same “What size am I in this brand’s jersey” conundrum. Depending on the brand, anything from size S to size L. In six cases a 98 cm chest falls between two sizes.
I thought the brand’s country of origin may have something to do with how their jerseys are sized. This is not the case.
Giordana, Santini, Castelli and Sportful are Italian brands designed and manufactured in Italy. Castelli and Sportful use identical sizing, perhaps because both brands belong to Manifattura Valcismon (MVC Group). Giordana and Santini use independent sizing schemes.
The same is true of the American brands Panache, Ostroy, Specialized, Pactino, Velocio and Ornot. Each American brand has its methodology for fitting chest measurements to their jersey sizes. I do note that Panache, Ostroy and Specialized use virtually identical chest measurements for their size L.
This inconsistency is also evident in the United Kingdom brands, although Velobici and Orro use common chest measurements in their size S, M, L and XL.
Another consideration is whether a cycling jersey accurately reflects its listed chest measurement, i.e. is it true-to-size? Online comments suggest that this is not always the case.
This means that the consumer cannot buy the same size cycling jersey from several brands and expect them to all fit the same.
What to do? Stay true to one brand. Or visit a physical store to try on a brand you are unfamiliar with. Or do your research before ordering a brand online for the first time. And expect to return a cycling jersey bought online because it doesn’t fit as expected.
Old Roots, New Routes 